Little by Little
by IAmStoryteller
Summary: (It only takes Asta years to realize who he loves more than anything) (Yuno, on the other hand, had always known) Shorts about the relationship of Asta and Yuno throughout their lives Originally Posted on AO3
1. Chapter 1

"Found you, Yuno," cheered the thirty-year-old Captain of the Black Bulls Magic Knights Squad, Asta. Asta sat down his very obviously hiding childhood best friend, the current Wizard King Yuno. While Asta was short and bulky, Yuno remained tall and lithe. The silver-haired non-mage nudged Yuno out of his deep thoughts with an elbow to the side. "You're getting as bad as King Julius was back then, you know."

Yuno sighed softly, as he always did. "Asta. Weren't you supposed to be on a mission?"

Asta grinned. "Finished in record time. I expect some gold stars once Noelle is done with the reports, Wizard King."

"Really? Having Noelle do all the paperwork again? Poor manners," commented Yuno, good-naturedly, even if he was acting kind of depressed. Asta could tell when Yuno was down.

"She's my Vice-Captain and she's got better handwriting, so there," argued Asta, grinning.

After a moment, Yuno just shook his head with a fond smile on his face that Asta recognized immediately. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Well, Glasses messaged me. Yuno, he's gonna get gray hair 'cause of you. He's worried about you," said Asta, simply. "What's going on with you, lately? You're not one to avoid your responsibilities. " Yuno didn't respond. Asta frowned. "Hey, talk to me. Some of the nobles giving you a hard time about some of your policies."

"It's not them. Thanks to the friends I've made and you made, the nobles and some of the royals are receptive to some changes, but the other King is…being difficult, to say the least," said Yuno, in frustration.

Asta winced. When they were younger, they hadn't known much about the other king. The Wizard King was the Clover Kingdom's military mage leader and the other King was actually in charge of everything else. Asta met him once, at Yuno's coronation ceremony, and Asta had a very poor impression of the man indeed. The world wasn't as simple as black and white, unfortunately. "I don't know what to do. I think that if it were you, it'd be easier to break the barriers for the poor."

Smiling, Asta said, "When you were chosen as the Wizard King over me, I was really proud of you, because you're my rival and if it wasn't me, I was glad it was you. But you're also my friend and I believe in you, ok? You're not the type to give up. So don't start now. If you really want, I'll stick around and maybe make a scene or two to help out."

"So you'll just stick around to make loud scenes, but not visit me just because," Yuno said, blandly. Asta beamed. Yuno always had a cool comeback.

"Please, I know that you're the Wizard King, but you can make visits to the Black Bulls hideout, under the ruse of checking up on us," said Asta, grinning. "Come on, let's go give some people some headaches and get some of those policies you want activated done!" He grabbed Yuno's arm and pulled him up.

"Fine, fine, I'm following," said Yuno, smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you really happy with the way things turned out, Asta," asked Nash to one of his big brothers. Nash, who learned to believe Asta, joined the Black Bulls. Nash was one of the last picks that Captain Yami did at the Magic Knights Entrance Exams, before he decided to retire. Then Asta became Captain suddenly because someone else became Wizard King.

Nash just turned 18 and just watched, alongside Asta and the rest of their family, Yuno become Wizard King. The Captains of the Magic Knights squads were standing behind the new Wizard King Yuno as he waved to the crowd of the adoring public. Each Captain had two people from their squads with them. Nash and Finral were the two with the Black Bulls Captain Asta.

It was a beautiful ceremony. Something really nicely done.

Asta grinned at Nash. Asta hadn't changed a lot since he was fifteen and stupid. Now, he was twenty-five and continually a ridiculous person. An amazing person, but still ridiculous. "Yuno deserves it. How can I not be happy? Just look at him. Look at the crowd. He really proved himself to everyone. I'm proud of him."

Nash snorted. "You know, you can be disappointed for yourself for like half-a-second."

Shrugging, Asta said, "How can I be disappointed when I shared the same dream with him for years? We both wanted the same thing, to do the same thing as Wizard King, and I know he'll make things easier for the poorer people. And as a Captain, it's my job to have his back, so it's better than great."

Without missing a beat, Yuno said, without turning away from the crowd. "He just doesn't want to do all the paperwork that comes with being Wizard King, don't have him fool you, Nash."

"Funny, Yuno," said Asta, fondly, but Nash was surprised to find that Asta wasn't really denying it.

Nash's senpai and one of Asta's dear friends Finral added his two cents, "And it just means that Asta can still go on missions all the time." No one in the Black Bulls called Asta "Captain." The exception were the new recruits, until they got used to their unorthodox captain.

Nash made a face. Asta was really happy with the way things turned out, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sylph," said Asta, as the wind spirit burst into the Black Bulls hideout during their breakfast meal. One of the few changes that Asta implemented as Captain was to require any Black Bull present to eat at least one meal together to foster some closeness. Asta, Charmy, Nash, and Finral were the only Black Bulls there as Magna took the newest Black Bulls out on a small mission and the others were on bigger missions. "Can you not bust our doors every time you visit?"

While the Black Bulls were known for being destructive, it didn't mean that other people or spirits were allowed to bust holes in their hideout. Only Black Bulls could.

"Shut up," said the wind spirit, huffing. For someone no bigger than Asta's hand, she was always shooting him glares. "I have a message to you from Yuno."

"Awesome, what's up, then?" It was nearly the one year mark of Yuno becoming Wizard King and it was no secret, much to the chagrin of other Captains that Yuno tended to give Asta the better, harder, seemingly impossible missions more than the others. But when the other Captains screamed special treatment, Yuno merely saddled the complaining Captain with joining Asta and whoever from the Black Bulls on the mission. Needless to say, they only ever complained to Asta about it and not Yuno, in fear of having to go on more insane missions with the only non-magic user in the Kingdom of Clover and his squad.

"He requests you presence as soon as possible; there's a spell you need to break for him on a mysterious grimoire that the Golden Dawn found in one of their raids on a fortress. Gods know why he won't ask me though instead of you annoying heathen," complained Sylph, who was overly attached to Yuno and constantly picking on mostly everyone else.

Asta laughed. "Alright! Charmy, Nash, you two hold the base until I get back. Finral, let's go!"

"Aww, but I want to see Yuno too," complained Charmy, although it sounded more like garbled nonsense as she was stuffing her face with a ton of food. Asta had years of experience interpreting Charmy's food-filled speech.

"Another time, Charmy," said Asta, in his best Captain voice, according to Noelle and Magna was getting better. Charmy pouted.

"Fine, bring me more Capital food, please!"

"Will do," said Asta, jumping out of his seat. "Finral, portal, if you will."

Finral sighed the sigh of a long sufferer. "Alright. Geez, I wonder if Yuno asked you to jump off a cliff, would you do it immediately?"

Without missing a beat (Asta's gotten a lot better at comebacks and sarcasm thanks to Noelle), he replied to his friend, "I don't know, I'd probably ask how high the cliff was and if there was a good reason. But most likely, yeah, I'd do it."

Sylph just left in a huff, knocking all the windows out as she left.

"What's her problem?"

"Dunno, Asta, but let's get going."


	4. Chapter 4

"Again, are you sure that you can handle things without me for a whole week, Dork-sta," asked Noelle, as she gave him an icy look.

"Geez, I'm the Captain now, can't you just call me by name," asked Asta, grinning.

"No, because you're a dork," said Noelle, sighing. "You'll be fine, right?"

Asta crossed his arms and gave her his best stern, captain look which after being friends for ten years didn't work on her. "Noelle, you deserve this vacation. Go see Kahono. I know you miss her. She's on tour with her Kiato right? So surprise her. And say hi to both of them for me."

Noelle started again, almost like she didn't want to go. "But what about the paperwork…?"

"Relax, I'll just make Finral do it," said Asta, turning her around pushing her out the door.

(Finral heard his name and said "Finral do what now?").

Outside of the Black Bulls hideout, her bags were outside as was her custom-broom. Noelle had long since gotten the handle of her magic so she was able to fly her own broom, which the rest of the team helped her build herself. Asta picked her up and put her on the broom. "Really, Noelle. It's only a week. We'll miss you, but you need a break. I can't have my trusted Vice-Captain getting too stressed, now."

Noelle smiled. "Alright, alright. But call me if there's any ounce of trouble, alright Captain Dorksta? You know where I'll be so just send Finral to get me."

Asta grinned good-naturedly. "We won't burn down the hideout this time or anything. Swear it."

Noelle didn't quite believe him or trust him to keep the rest of the reckless and ridiculous Black Bulls in line. "Alright…See you in a week then."

"Great, have fun!"

Asta watched Noelle fly off, glad that he could do something nice for Noelle who was someone that he never would have believed in a million years to have his back and now he couldn't imagine his life without her. Yuno may have been his rival (his everything, not that he'd ever tell Yuno that…yet), but Noelle was his other best friend. A best friend forged on the battlefields. A best friend who also complimented Asta.

A best friend who turned down the chance to be the Captain of the Azure Deer Squad after Rill decided to retire suddenly to work on his art (and start a family) to stay with the Black Bulls and be the Vice-Captain.

"So, let me guess," said Finral, smiling fondly at Asta, "you want a trip to Capital City to visit Yuno?" While Noelle didn't mind visiting now and again the Capital (as that's where her siblings were most of the time), she reminded him that Yuno was way too busy to entertain Asta all the time. It just another thing that he and Noelle argued about as the leaders of the Black Bulls—not because they were mad at each other, but because they still had such different personalities that clashed on occasion.

"What? No," said Asta. Then a moment later, "Yuno's got some big meeting with the Royal heads and Noble heads today so I'll head out to see him tomorrow! Today, we have a bonfire and barbeque!"

Charmy shot out of the second floor window, screaming, "DID SOMEONE SAY BARBEQUE?!" Finral had to activate his spatial magic to safely get Charmy to the ground since she was too busy drooling over the imaginary food to activate her own magic.

Asta chuckled.

Later, once everyone managed to eat his or her fill of food (though Charmy was still going strong), Asta poked and prodded Finral not to pass out from a food coma and open a portal so he could drop a plate of food on the Wizard King's desk, because Asta knew that Yuno probably didn't eat anything with the stress of the big meeting with the big wigs of the kingdom.

The next day Sylph, very annoyed, came bursting into the Black Bulls hideout (again) with a bag of tatoes.

Asta was thrilled, but not so much when he had to fight Charmy for it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, Yuno," said Sister Lily, sitting five-year-old Yuno on her lap and giving him a big hug.

"Don't be so upset with me. Asta doesn't mean it."

Yuno, in all his five-year-old glory, said, "Asta always means what he says. He wants to marry you."

Sister Lily sighed, wondering what she was going to do with these two boys of hers. "Yuno, I can't marry Asta. I'm a nun. Nuns can't get married. And Asta is more like my little brother, just like you."

Yuno seemed appeased for the moment.

"Stop looking at me like that," said Yuno, far too petulantly for a twenty-four year old hopeful Wizard King (you know the most powerful Wizard in the kingdom and in charge of all the Magic Knights). (The process for choosing the next Wizard King would take a year, as it was in the time of peace and not war). Sister Lily gave him a pointed look as Yuno sat in her kitchen in their little orphanage in Hage Village.

"I don't know Yuno how am I looking at you?"

"Like I'm being silly," said Yuno, frowning.

Sister Lily wanted to sigh but refrained. "Asta visited yesterday." Yuno sat up straight at the news. He still had an impassive look on his face, but she knew that he was interested because it was about Asta. "He told me that Lady Noelle turned down the offer to be the Captain of the Azure Deer Squad to stay his Vice-Captain. Asta did tell her to take the job, but she was adamant. Our Asta inspires such loyalty and devotion, doesn't he, Yuno?"

Yuno nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"My dear Yuno, I think that you are thinking too much," said Sister Lily, smiling gently at him. Asta and Noelle could have been an item, but they weren't.

She would never tell Yuno about the time Asta came running home when he was seventeen because Noelle confessed to him and Asta had no clue at all what to do. Asta spent a week hiding from everyone in the orphanage until Noelle came charging in. They argued and it was revealed that Noelle had more to say than a confession to Asta and he didn't let her finish before running off.

She had liked him, in the past. Noelle just wanted him to know because she always knew that she had no chance, and they were friends and there should be no secrets. Then she dropped the news that she had developed feelings for someone else unexpected. After that, Asta thanked Noelle, promised to be her friend and support her with whoever she liked.

Yuno didn't respond.

"You know, Asta hasn't asked me to marry him since he was sixteen, in letters or in person."

"Ah."

Yuno seemed in better spirits afterwards.


	6. Chapter 6

Yuno wasn't able to sit still; he was practically vibrating with nerves and worry. Mimosa sat in a seat next to him and Noelle on the other side of the Wizard King. Mimosa held his hand, while Noelle's normal stoic face was strained with worry.

"He's going to pull through, he always does," said Noelle, suddenly. "Though, he's never going off on a mission alone again. Always getting in trouble that Asta. If it wasn't for Nero, we wouldn't have found him in time."

It was all Yuno's fault. It shouldn't have been a difficult mission. He was the one that sent Asta off on a mission to deliver a message to a diplomat from the Diamond Kingdom at the border. All the kingdoms' were trying to keep the peace and not have war break out for any reason again for the foreseeable future.

"Yuno, it's not your fault," said Mimosa, squeezing his hand, gently. "Noelle's right. Asta's strong."

Yuno didn't respond.

Then the doctor came out of the room. "Asta's resting easy. He just needs some bed rest until he's completely healed. And I mean it this time. No training or anything until he's all healed."

Noelle and Mimosa let out sighs of relief.

"Can I see him," asked Yuno.

"Of course, sir," said the doctor.

Noelle and Mimosa let Yuno go in by himself. The room was sterile and Asta was laying on the bed sleeping without a care in the world.

Yuno stood by the bed and ruffled Asta's hair. "You idiot, always making me worry."


	7. Chapter 7

"Asta, what are you doing," asked Noelle, as she watched Asta run around the Black Bulls hideout like a headless chicken tearing the drawers and hiding spots apart. She was working on some backlogged paperwork. She knew that she should have never taken an entire week off (again, somehow Asta does make her take vacations every year). Finral only did half of the paperwork required and any that Asta did was unreadable. Noelle forgave Asta for his poor writing and reading skills as he was raised all the way in the poor Village of Hage, but everyone else had decent enough education to be able to complete their own paperwork.

"Someone took the present I have for Yuno's birthday," said Asta, grumbling in frustration, upending another couch in the process with the ease gained from years of upper body training. He was so ridiculous sometimes. She platonically loved him anyway, she supposed. "Ugh, Noelle, did you see a box labeled with Yuno's name anywhere?"

Noelle sighed. "No, Asta. And don't you and Yuno share a birthday? I almost forgot. What do you want for your birthday this year?"

Asta grinned. "I don't need presents, because I've got everything I wanted in my life. I have a big family. I'm a Magic Knights Captain. And I take care of everyone. And Yuno's Wizard King."

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Did you look under your bed, Dork-sta? That's normally where you hide things."

Asta's eye lit up. "Right! Thanks, Noelle! You're the best. You're the light of my life, I'll be lost without you." He was, of course, teasing her. Noelle knew full well who the real light of Asta's life was and it sure wasn't her. She honestly wished that both of them would just get on with it.

They were both turning thirty. She really didn't want to have to meddle, but she and the other Black Bulls had an ongoing bet since the invasion of the elves about when Asta or Yuno would confess their undying love for each other.

He grinned, while bolting out of the common room up to his room while Noelle yelled,

"Don't make me drown you before your birthday, Captain!"


	8. Chapter 8

Growing up in Hage, Yuno was brought up on the tales of heroes and villains. It was kind of hard to avoid it as there was the husk of a demon king in their backyard. The hero was always the Wizard King and the Wizard King had help from the Magic Knights Squads. The villains were demons, other kingdom wizards (the enemy), and bad people in general. He and Asta always sat by the fire at Sister Lily's feet listening to her read from one of the few books the orphanage owned. They were regaled with tales of battles hard fought and good triumph over evil.

(These days, he and Asta filled the orphanage with all kinds of books).

These stories filled Yuno will a desire to become something more. Yuno wanted to brave enough to become the Wizard King, to be strong enough.

He didn't want to be weak. He wanted to protect Asta, who never gave up, who always thought so highly of Yuno and believed in him just as much as Yuno believed in Asta.

Sometimes when he's stuck in the office as Wizard King, he wished that Asta was the Wizard King instead, but banished the thoughts immediately. Yuno wanted to be the Wizard King so badly for years. He was able to take care of his family and the people he's come to care for amongst the other knights.

It should have been everything he wanted and more.

But there was something lacking.

He was wandering around the capital in the middle of the night, disguised as a beggar thanks to his wind magic. It was only to get some peace and quiet for a bit before Klaus was waking him up at the crack of dawn for more meetings and more paperwork or having to deal with the eccentric group of Magic Knight Captains under his command. He knew that he really should be sleeping.

He passed by a bookstore and something caught his eye. Of course, the store was closed but in the front was one of those penny dime novels.

Was that Asta on the front cover? It sort of looked like Asta but not really, but the two demon swords gave it away.

Yuno covered his mouth to snicker.

Asta would love to know that some wrote a book with him as a main character, like other famous wizards in the Clover Kingdom.

Asta was a valiant Magic Knight Captain, after all, and he was pretty amazing. He made a note to find time to come to the store and buy it as a gift for Asta. Yuno liked that others recognized Asta as the awesome Magic Knight he was—Yuno can just imagine Asta's excited look.

Tomorrow then.


	9. Chapter 9

Asta was glad to come back to the Black Bulls hideout after a boring, tedious mission. He wasn't "allowed" to go on missions by himself anymore (you get nearly mortally wounded once and you can never live it down), so he took Charmy with him. And he loved Charmy as a big sister, but she spent more time sleeping and he had to carry her on his back so he wouldn't lose her.

"I'm back! Someone get Charmy some food," said Asta, kicking the door to the hideout open. He found Noelle, Mimosa and Finral at the table deep in discussion. Thankfully, Gordon appeared to take care of Charmy. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Asta, I'm so glad you're back," said Mimosa, standing up, wringing her hands together. "I need to you come to the Capital with me."

Asta's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"We lost a few knights and Yuno's not taking it well and he's overworking himself. He won't listen to me or Klaus," said Mimosa.

"Alright, then, Finral! A portal please for me and Mimosa," said Asta, bone tired but now worried about Yuno. Finral opened a portal to the capital with his spatial magic and Asta immediately went through it.

He, Mimosa, and Finral arrived at the gate of the castle. Asta didn't wait for either of them and he bolted inside and headed towards the Wizard King's office. There were servants, other Magic Knights, and politicians wandering the place, but he was a known guest that no one batted an eyelash at Asta racing around the castle, even though he was a thirty-year-old man.

He reached the office to find Klaus pacing outside of it.

"Four-Eyes, let me go in," said Asta.

"Ah, Asta, he won't listen. I think he's got a stress fever," said Klaus.

Asta didn't hesitate and entered the room. One look at Yuno and Asta knew something was wrong. From their childhood spent together, Asta knew all of Yuno's tells. Yuno had dark circles under his eyes and the eyes were unfocused and he was writing quiet slowly. Asta saw the frown on his face.

He marched to Yuno. "Yuno." Asta opened his arms for a hug, wordlessly. Yuno glanced at him and didn't react. Yuno always tried to hide his feelings, especially since he vowed to not cry anymore. Asta still saw right through him. Asta moved quickly and hugged Yuno, bringing the taller man in a tight hug.

Immediately, Yuno grasped at Asta and hugged back.

"It's alright, I've got you." Asta kissed Yuno's forehead like Sister Lily did to check their fevers when they were little and Yuno was burning up with a fever. Asta grunted. "Can you walk or will I have to throw the Wizard King over my shoulder?"

Yuno didn't respond because he passed out.

Asta was glad for his strength as he hefted Yuno up. He walked out of the office and Klaus didn't comment, but merely led Asta to Yuno's room.

Once there, Asta placed Yuno on the bed and tucked him in. "Four-Eyes, get the doctor. I'll stay with him."


	10. Chapter 10

"You're fussing again," said Vanessa, teasing Asta lightly. She stopped by the Capital with some clothes for Asta along with Finral. He knew full well that both of them were probably going to go off gallivanting in the city but that was just fine with him. Vanessa was like Charmy and Grey to him, like his big sisters. But there were times that if Asta was being honest with himself, Vanessa was his favorite out of the three. Maybe it was when he, Finral and Vanessa fought together in the underwater kingdom or maybe it was when Vanessa was willing to give up her freedom to heal Asta's arms. (Noelle didn't count since she was his best friend).

"I'm not fussing," said Asta, sitting in chair besides Yuno's bed. Yuno slept fitfully, even though the doctor stopped by and gave him some stuff to bring down his fever. He kept wiping his face with a cool rag of water. Klaus and Mimosa stop by every once in a while. The two are covering for Yuno while he's ill. "It's not my fault he won't take care of himself anymore."

Vanessa smiled. "Asta, you fuss because you care so much. You like to take care of the people you love and that's fine, but maybe you should think about why Yuno's being more and more reckless lately."

Asta frowned. There were many things one could call Asta, but he was not stupid. He was just a little oblivious. "Is it because I come running any time he needs me?"

"Maybe, I don't know. You should ask him," replied Vanessa, glibly. Asta gave her an annoyed look and she just giggled at him. "Try to rest yourself, Captain, or you'll have some unhappy Black Bulls to deal with." She ruffled his hair, like he was fifteen again and not a thirty-year-old man. She sauntered out of the room, leaving Asta alone with his thoughts.

Asta sighed. Maybe Vanessa was right. But Yuno wouldn't be so ridiculous to try and get Asta's attention, would he? It was true that while Asta did make time to visit, Asta was a Magic Knight Captain and he had a lot of work to do, just like Yuno did as the Wizard King. They weren't kids anymore nor were they junior knights anymore.

Yuno had to know that Asta cared about him, that Asta loved him, right?

"Damn, when's the last time I told him that I loved him," Asta asked himself out loud. He glanced at Yuno and felt his heart fill with affection and fondness for the one constant person in his life.

Asta thought the concept of love. Of course, Asta knew all about the different types of love. Family love, platonic friend love, and romantic love, it was something taught to him and Yuno by Sister Lily as young boys. When it was just Asta and Yuno at the orphanage before Nash showed up, Asta remembered vaguely telling Yuno many times that he loved him.

But that one winter night changed everything when Yuno vowed to get stronger and not need Asta to protect him anymore. Asta knew that it wasn't anything against Asta being the protector when they were young for it was something Asta knew that Yuno had to do for himself. Were they falling into their old habits of protector and the protected? They were still rivals, at the core but Yuno beat Asta fair and square for the position they both wanted, but they were older now. Things change.

Asta knew that while most of the Black Bulls were not the marrying type (not for the lack of trying, but the Black Bulls Magic Knights were not good at relationships as a whole), he knew that if Noelle and Kahono were allowed, they would have gotten married already. And Asta's childhood fantasy of Sister Lily had been no more for years, but Asta never really thought about romantic love other than in that context.

But being in love or getting married or just staying together really boiled down to who a person wanted to spend the rest of their life with? It was like Old Man Zell and Miss Domina. It was like Nash and that magic knight from the Blue Rose squad, who had like an instant connection. (Though, he would like to get know her better since she was with his little brother and actually learn her name but Nash was under the impression that the Black Bulls would scare her away).

Asta knew his answer, maybe he always known but didn't want to admit it.

Sighing again, he checked Yuno's temperature with a quick movement and found that it was not as bad as before. "Hey, Yuno, I know you can't hear me right now, but I love you. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise and I'm going to make it up to you."

And then, Yuno opened his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Noelle narrowed her eyes when Asta came into the hideout after being in the Capital for the last few days looking after Yuno. Asta was even more chipper than usual. The smile on his face wasn't his normal cocky smile or his confident grin.

"Oh my God," declared Noelle, loudly and pointing her finger at Asta. "DID YOU AND YUNO FINALLY ADMIT THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE?!"

Asta's face turned bright red. "Noelle, do you really have to announce it to EVERYONE?!" He was panicking waving his arms around in his nervousness. "But yeah, we did. And for your information, I said it first."

Noelle grinned. As his best friend, it was her right to tease him, especially after the fiasco of introducing Kahono as her girlfriend to the Black Bulls years back. "I was right! Finral, Vanessa, Magna, Charmy, everyone! I WON THE BET! PAY UP."

"What? Ah, no way," said Magna, holding his head in despair.

"Can I fight both Asta and Yuno at once?"

"Thought it'd be Yuno for sure," moaned Vanessa, at the loss of her drinking money.

Finral was crying happy and sad tears. "Why…!?"

Noelle laughed at Asta as he was being bombarded by the various members of the Black Bulls, who were genuinely happy for Asta, but as close as the Black Bulls were, it was their prerogative to tease. After all, they all dealt with an oblivious, pining-without-knowing-it Asta for years.

"When's he coming to dinner as his proper introduction," asked Charmy, drooling at the thought of a feast.

"Guys, come on, don't be like this…It's not a big deal!"


	12. Chapter 12

"You're embarrassing," said Yuno, sighing as Asta kissed his nose in greeting.

"I don't know why you're surprised. You've known that since forever," said Asta, grinning.

"You've been sleeping regularly right? And been eating?"

"Yes, Asta," Yuno replied, tersely. "And no fatal wounds lately?"

Asta snorted. "I almost die a couple of times and I never live it down."

"Well, you're always dramatic about almost dying," said Yuno, rather snarky today. Asta just laughed and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Hey! Can you two knock it off? We've got a meeting!"


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you sure I look alright," asked Asta, nervous fiddling with the formal-ware cape of the Black Bulls. Asta didn't even know there were "formal" uniforms for the Magic Knights (but barely anyone but some Royals wore them). Noelle sighed and straightened it again for him.

"Yes, Asta, I promise. You look great," said Noelle, "but please stop fussing. We have to get outside or they're will be a riot if Charmy doesn't eat soon."

Asta snorted. "I can't believe that I'm doing this."

"And I can't believe that the priest here is actually letting an old religion tradition be done for you two," said Noelle, smiling. Noelle was all done up beautifully in an expensive blue and silver dress. "You don't want to keep everyone waiting. Let's go." Asta nodded and followed Noelle out of the orphanage bathroom.

Outside in the field behind the orphanage, there was the most important people in Asta's life waiting for him. His entire squad of Black Bulls, Captain Yami, the orphanage kids, Nash, Sister Lily, Kiato, Kahono, Rebecca and her siblings, Marie, Mimosa, Klaus, Old Man Zell, his wife Domina, assassin girl Mariella, Fana, and a few others that Asta met over the years as a Black Bull were all sitting in assorted chairs in front of makeshift altar.

Yuno was waiting in the back for him. Yuno was smartly dressed in his Wizard King robes, a cool impassive look on his face. But he couldn't fool Asta at how happy Yuno was at the moment. Noelle gave Asta a good shove as she went to join her own significant other Kahono because he stared too long at Yuno's pretty face.

Asta moved to stand next to Yuno. Father, the man that raised him and Yuno, was breaking several rules of the Church for them. This ceremony was not legally binding in anyway, and technically outlawed by the Church. Everyone in attendance were going to be trusted not to tell anyone outside of this group about this ceremony. Prior to the establishment of the Church, the old religions allowed anyone to get married in spiritual ceremonies. It was considered a soul-binding ceremony, but in truth, it was only in name only.

It was the only option as they weren't allowed to get married like a man and a woman.

In truth, Asta hadn't seen the need for a ceremony, but Yuno wanted to do it and Asta would do anything for Yuno. It wasn't really putting him out. He just didn't get the need for the ceremony of it. After all, Noelle and Kahono were perfectly happy as they were, and technically Fanzell and Domina were not legally married as they weren't citizens of the Clover Kingdom, but still called each other husband and wife.

"You ready," asked Yuno, taking Asta's hand.

"Always," replied Asta, with a grin.

And together they walked down the makeshift aisle together to pronounce their love for each other in a ceremony that only meant something to them.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm home! Sorry, I'm late," said a girl of thirteen with black hair and blue eyes bursting into her home at the Black Bulls Magic Knights hideout. She was dressed in light training clothes and she just came back from her daily training. This girl was Wilhelmina, or Minnie to everyone, and she was the daughter of the greatest Magic Knight Captain in history and the Wizard King. "I ran into a wild boar!"

In the ever insane Black Bulls hideout, her Aunt Charmy was whipping up dinner (always too much food), while Uncle Magna and Uncle Luck were fighting (not unusual). Her dad and her favorite Aunt Noelle were sitting at the table, ducking when things started flying, as they argued over paperwork.

"Did you defeat it," asked her dad, not even looking up in concern because he knew she could take care of herself unlike overprotective Papa Yuno, who always scolded Dad-sta for letting Minnie go off on her own into the forest.

"Yeah, bopped it in the nose and it ran away," said Minnie, proudly flexing her muscles.

"Good job," said her dad, grinning over at her. Auntie Noelle lightly punched Minnie's dad in the arm to focus back on the squad's paperwork. "Don't tell Papa or he'll murder me, k?"

"He'll find out anyhow, he's the Wizard King, you know," said Minnie, giggling.

"True," said her dad, ruefully. Papa Yuno always knew when Minnie did something dangerous and when Dad-sta let her. "Wanna visit him after dinner? We'll make Finral take us!"

"When are you all going to stop using me as a pack mule," complained Uncle Finral from the other side of the room on the couch with Aunt Vanessa, Uncle Nash, and Uncle Gauche (who was talking to Auntie Marie on one of his mirrors, again, even though Auntie Marie was busy working as a nurse).

"Oh, I don't know when I can learn to fly on a broomstick," retorted her dad, who didn't have an ounce of magic but was still one of the best warriors and Knights in the Clover Kingdom.

"Never then, I see," said Finral, sighing, while everyone laughed him.

Minnie giggled. Papa Yuno actually lived at the Black Bulls hideout, but sometimes he had to be in the Capital for work as Wizard King, but because he was so good at his job, he didn't always have to be in the Capital. Still, there was a problem that Papa Yuno was working on and she hadn't seen him in a week and she really missed him.

Suddenly, Minnie was swept up in her dad's arms. Face-to-face, her dad brightly grinned at her. "I know, home's not the same without your Papa. I miss him too, but remember that he misses us more!"

Minnie pouted. "I know, I know. But I'm not a baby anymore, Dad-sta, put me down!"

"You'll always be my baby," said her dad, kissed her nose but then putting her back down on the ground.

Then, the door opened and a familiar voice said, "I'm home."

Papa Yuno was home.

"Papa," shouted Minnie, lunging at her papa and giving him a big hug. "You're home early."

"Rest was just paperwork, so I just brought it here," said Papa Yuno, picking her up and hugging her. She just snuggled closer to her papa.

"Oh, so he can pick you up but not me? I see how it is," said her Dad, sniffling, obviously not really crying. She used to be unable to get his teasing, but she knew better now. "Welcome back, Yuno."

"Yeah, I'm back, thanks," said her papa, giving her dad a lovey-dovey look which didn't look different from her papa's normal expressions but Minnie knew each of his expressions well. "Oh, Charmy made us dinner. Let's eat."

"YAY!"


End file.
